The invention relates to a device for rinsing channels of medical instruments with fluid, the device comprising an injector nozzle which in shape and position is adapted or adaptable to a respective instrument connection, at least one fluid supply to the injector nozzle as well as a fluid operating device, and relates to a rinsing method in which such a device is employed.
With a known device of this type, rinsing and injector devices are provided for cleaning and rinsing through the hollow bodied instruments of minimal invasive surgery (MIS). With this, several instruments or instrument shanks may be deposited obliquely in rows with several connections for rinsing. There are further variously shaped injector nozzles or connection adaptors available for the different connections of the medical instruments which may be selectively used with the known device. Common to all injector nozzles and connection adaptors is that for rinsing the instruments they are rigidly connected to the connections or shank ends thereof.
Due to reasons of hygene a mechanized preparation by way of rinsing the instruments is required since only thus can a standardization in the preparation be ensured. A manual preparation at the same time should be avoided if possible. Many instruments are designed such that contaminated regions are very difficult to access for preparation. Thus for the mechanized preparation, cleaning and disinfection devices are necessary, these permitting an optimum preparation result. The term "preparation" covers the cleaning as well as the disinfection of the instrument, and the term "fluids" includes, but is not limited to, liquids, gases and steams.
The accesses to endoscopic instrumentation are designed as connector connections and serve the expansion or adaptation and are formed as introductions or passages for gripping instruments, sampling and excession forceps, scissors as well as other auxiliary instruments and additional accessories, or are used as supply and removal tubing systems. At the same time the connections are formed as Luer connections, plug connectors, threaded connections, bayonet connections and likewise, these representing all easily releasable connections.
If medical instruments, in particular instruments of minimal invasive surgery, are to be applied for the mechanized preparation for cleaning and disinfection of the instrument channels, then up to now all accesses and connection openings must be manually rigidly connected to tubing systems so that a controlable rinsing of the channels can be ensured. These rigid connections however prevent the required cleaning and disinfection in the region of the adaptation so that bacteria, viruses and germs remain as rest matter and may be transmitted to patients. Present remaining impurities such as blood remains and secretions at high temperatures in automatic preparation machines are even coagulated in very critical, relatively inaccessible regions and thus form an additional large risk.
The tubing conduits and adaptors used with known rinsing devices are not always suitable for the specifically targeted and qualifiable preparation (cleaning and disinfection), since due to the pushing over of a tubing or with screw connections or part connections, no complete preparation may be effected in the covered regions. Thus there is an increased risk of transmitting germs.